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US 6,599,041 B1Granted
Sheet movement sensor
AssigneeLexmark International, Inc.
InventorsAdam Jude Ahne, Michael Clark Campbell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sensor for detecting movement of a sheet of media including a light emitting element and a light sensing element for detecting at least part of the light emitted from the light emitting element and reflected by the sheet, the light sensing element providing an output. The sensor further includes a processor receiving the output of the light sensing element and detecting movement of the sheet based upon the output.
Claims36
A sensor for detecting movement of a sheet of media comprising:
- a light-emitting element;
- a light-sensing element for detecting at least a portion of light emitted from said light emitting element and reflected by said sheet, said light sensing element providing an output;
- an auxiliary light sensing element for detecting at least a portion of light emitted from said light emitting element and diffused by said sheet;
- and
- a processor programmed to receive said output of said light sensing element and detect movement of said sheet based upon said output of said light sensing element and programmed to receive an output of said auxiliary light sensing element and determine a media type of said sheet based upon said output of said auxiliary light sensing element.
2 more elements
A sensor for determining the media type of a sheet and detecting movement of the sheet comprising:
- a light emitting element;
- a light sensing element for detecting at least a portion of light emitted from said light emitting element and reflected by said sheet, said light sensing element providing an output;
- and
- a processor programmed to receive said output of said light sensing element and determine the media type of said sheet and detect movement of said sheet based upon said output.
1 more element
A method for determining the media type of a sheet and detecting movement of the sheet comprising the steps of:
- providing a reflective optical sensor including a light emitting element, a light-sensing element which provides an output and an auxiliary light sensing element which provides an output;
- causing said light emitting element to emit light;
- causing said light sensing element to detect light emitted by said light emitting element and reflected by said sheet;
- causing said auxiliary light sensing element to detect light emitted by said light emitting element and diffused by said sheet
- determining a media type of said sheet based at least in part upon the amount of light received by said auxiliary light sensing element;
- and
- detecting whether said sheet is moving based at least in part upon said light received by said light sensing element.
4 more elements
A printer comprising:
- a print head for printing indicia on a sheet of media;
- a media path through which a sheet of media is moved for positioning said sheet to receive indicia thereon from said print head;
- a light-emitting element located adjacent said media path;
- a light-sensing element for detecting at least a portion of light emitted from said light emitting element and reflected by said sheet, said light sensing element providing an output;
- an auxiliary light sensing element for detecting at least a portion of light emitted from said light emitting element and diffused by said sheet, said auxiliary light sensing element providing an output;
- and
- a processor programmed to receive said output of said light sensing element and detect movement of said sheet based upon said output of said light sensing element and programmed to receive said output of said auxiliary light sensing element and determine a media type of said sheet.
4 more elements
A method for feeding a sheet of media through a business machine comprising the steps of:
- providing a business machine having a media path, a driving mechanism for moving media through said media path, a light emitting element located adjacent said media path, a light sensing element, an auxiliary light sensing element and a processor connected to said light sensing element and said auxiliary light sensing element;
- causing said driving mechanism to engage a sheet of media to drive said sheet through said media path;
- causing said light emitting element to emit light that is reflected and diffused by said sheet such that said reflected light is at least partially sensed by said light sensing element and said diffused light is at least partially sensing by said auxiliary light sensing element;
- causing said light sensing element to provide, to said processor, an output indicative of light sensed by said light sensing element;
- causing said auxiliary light sensing element to provide, to said processor, an output indicative of the light sensed by said auxiliary light sensing element;
- causing said processor to determine whether said sheet is moving based upon said output of said light sensing element;
- and
- causing said processor to determine a media type of said sheet based upon said output of said auxiliary light sensing element.
5 more elements
A printer comprising:
- a print head for printing indicia on a sheet of media;
- a media path through which a sheet of media can be moved for positioning said sheet to receive indicia thereon as printed by said print head;
- a light-emitting element located adjacent said media path;
- a light-sensing element for detecting at least a portion of light emitted from said light emitting element and reflected by said sheet, said light sensing element providing an output;
- a processor programmed to receive said output of said light sensing element and detect movement of said sheet based upon said output;
- and
- an input tray for storing sheets to be fed through said media path, and wherein said light emitting element and said light sensing element are part of an optical sensor located adjacent said input tray to detect movement of a sheet located in said input tray.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.